Boygenius, the ever rumouring website who brought us such ponderings as the 99 dollar iPhone are churning out some new butter. Apparently, they have received information that AT&T will be clearing iPhone inventory and to do so, will offer no-commitment iPhones. The 8GB phone will go for a measely 599$ while the larger 16GB phone will be available for 699$. In addition to being free from a money-grubbing AT&T contract, it will not require activation but rather necessitate the purchaser to already be an AT&T customer.

What this means is that you can now woo that special someone with the purchase of an iPhone. Call it bride price if you will, but AT&T have only limited ways of ensuring sales go to prior AT&T customers so this ain’t no shotgun weddin’.

UPDATE: Next Thursday, the no commitment iPhone will go on sale at price points of 599$ and 699$ for the 8GB and 16GB respectively. Thanks for the update Yahoo! Finance. The down part? Those of you not on AT&T will either have to saw off your foot and pay contract ending fees or otherwise just pony up to AT&T for a contract. Well, at least you can get an iPhone without a contract… and then have to pay contract to use it… yay for freemarket economies!

Just a short note. Something I’m sure you have already sussed out. A phone is a phone is a phone only works in the comics. When it comes to Apple and carriers, it is another tale all together. Poor sods in the Apple Discussion boards who bought iPhones in Japan are realising that their prescious hardware cannot make the trip back to the USA without suffering downgrading to an iPod Touch.

Softbank and Apples negotiations are somewhat to blame as well as Japanese law as well as general greed. If you have an iPhone from there, by all bloody means, leave it there. Same phone. Same software – does not matter. The point is $$$ – and you need to pay twice. Most of us are aware of this fact, but you must remember that our Jesus Phone is not the saviour of our souls, merely the freeloader of our pocket books.

Remember, if you move, sell your silly iPhone before going back home unless you purchased an unlocked phone from a good consumer-conscious country!